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The Zerg Overmind
The Zerg Overmind, or simply The Overmind, is the Hive Mind of the Zerg. It was created by the Xel'Naga to bring order and unity to the Zerg. Biography Creation "The Zerg were indeed created by the Xel'Naga. But the Overmind grew beyond their constraints." -Zeratul, SC1 The Xel'Naga, knowing that their failure with the Protoss was caused by them pushing the sentience of the fledgling race to quickly, decided to follow a different path with the burgeoning Zerg. Attempting to waylay the threat of differing egos, the Xel'Naga fused the Zerg sentience into a unified, amalgamated Overmind. The Overmind was the sum total of all the thoughts and instincts of the Zerg. Over time, the Overmind developed a personality and advance intellect, though this persona was simply the greater consciousness of the Zerg as a whole: essentially, the Overmind WAS the Zerg. Growing the Swarms Though the Overmind was capable of controlling every organism within the Swarm, it decided to use secondary agents to divide the Swarm into Broods. The Overmind created a new strain to process, facilitate and carry out it's whims. These "Cerebrates" were massive versions of the original Zerg insectoids and were engineered to process and carry out the various objectives of the Overmind. Each Cerebrate had a unique objective, such as "defend the Hive", "scout for potential strains", "produce more warriors", or "eradicate all life forms". The Cerebrates were then empowered to build their own Hive Clusters and carry out their intended agendas. Over time they developed personalities that mirrored their primary drives. However, the Cerebrates, like all Zerg, were genetically incapable of disobeying the Overmind. The Zerg chain of command lengthened as new races were incorporated into the Swarm. Cerebrates began using secondary agents to communicate their orders as well. For the defense and productivity of the immediate Hive, the Cerebrates used Queens to further extend their control over the Swarm. The Queens oversaw Drone activity throughout the resource lines of the Hives and kept a vigilant watch over the budding spore colonies of the collective. In times of battle, Cerebrates called upon Overlords to directly relay their commands to the myriad warriors of the Swarm. Overlords not only directed Zerg attacks against their enemies, but also could be mutated to transport Zerg warriors into the fray. Just as the Cerebrates were bound to the Overmind, the Queens and Overlords were incapable of disobeying the Cerebrates. This rigid chain of command kept the Swarm at peak, savage efficiency. As the Swarms began to grow and strengthen, the Overmind turned it's thoughts towards it's own future. It realized that within a few short centuries the Zerg Swarm had assimilated all life on Zerus. In order to evolve further, the Zerg would need to leave Zerus. The Overmind began to reach out with it's senses, looking for something - anything - that would provide passage off of the world. That opportunity soon arrived. A race of gargantuan, space-faring life forms passed through the Zerus System, and the Overmind called to them. Drawn to the barren world by this beacon, they were quickly assimilated by the Swarm. The inclusion of super-dense hides and the ability to exist in a vacuum bolstered the genetic pool of the Swarm. Soon the Zerg Warriors were conditioned to survive the harshness of space. This pivotal moment in the development of the Zerg was not lost to the Xel’Naga. The Zerg, despite having an extreme physical handicap,had succeeded in not only surviving, but in retaining the purity of their terrible overriding essence. The Xel’Naga knew that they had achieved their goal. Fall of the Xel'Naga The pride in their achievements proved to be the fatal downfall of the Xel’Naga. The Overmind, while slowly expanding itself into the void of space, became aware of the mighty Xel’Naga world-ships hovering ominously above the skies of Zerus. The Xel’Naga, having kept a constant watch on the Overmind, were horrified to find that it had actually severed their psychic link, effectively hiding itself from their view. With its need to consume driving its minions into a lustful frenzy, the Overmind launched the now space-faring Zerg swarms at the unsuspecting Xel’Naga. The ancient race did what they could to stem the tide of the ever-advancing Zerg onslaught, but in the end their efforts were in vain. Wave after wave of Zerg swarms hammered the reinforced hulls of the Xel’Naga’s ships with no signs of abatement. Within only a few hours the Zerg overran the defenses of their creators and laid waste to the Xel’Naga fleet. As the greater whole of the Xel’Naga race was consumed by the raging, genetic whirlwind of the Zerg, the Overmind gained the knowledge and insights of its masters. The Overmind processed thousands of sentient beings into itself, causing it to grow far more powerful than it had ever imagined. It learned the secrets of the sacred Khaydarin Crystals, and began to incorporate the energies of these Crystals into its own. Through the intimate knowledge of evolution and proto-genetic physiology gained from the Xel’Naga, the Overmind was able to increase the level of sentience in many of the higher Zerg strains, while still keeping them fully under its control. Through dissecting the memories of the Xel’Naga, the Overmind was made aware of the myriad races that had at one time or another been influenced by the ancient race. The Xel’Naga had kept a detailed genetic history of each race, giving the Overmind a clear understanding of their respective strengths and weaknesses. Most importantly, the Overmind learned of an exceedingly powerful race that lived near the galaxy’s fringe known only as the Protoss. The Overmind knew then that the Protoss and the Zerg would eventually be caught in an inevitable, apocalyptic conflict. More to be added later. Category:Zerg Special Structures Category:Zerg Heroes